


Sakura Matsuri

by aurumdalseni (kyo_chan)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Shendak, Shendak Central Spring Fling Exchange
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:40:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23862448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyo_chan/pseuds/aurumdalseni
Summary: “Sakura. Matsuri.”Sendak sounds out the words carefully, and Shiro can’t help but smile. Hearing the syllables in the familiar low rumble makes him happier than he can verbalize, so he just revels in the feeling. He wrangles a large box to the center of the room and sets it down, kneeling on the floor next to it.“That’s right. Cherry blossom festival. Where I come from, it’s a traditional celebration. Like the juniberry festival for the Alteans and your Feast Days. It’s how we celebrate spring.”
Relationships: Sendak/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 34
Collections: Shendak Spring Fling





	Sakura Matsuri

**Author's Note:**

> This is my Shendak Central Spring Fling exchange piece for Giu Giu Ryu, who requested cherry blossom (also a date at 3AM, which is where this might lead to.) It's been a minute since I've written Shendak, and it was really nice to get back to these boys. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> (Please also know that I wish so hard that I could have drawn this for you, with the two of them in yukata, standing among the cherry blossom trees. That cherry blossom request gave me such lovely inspiration.)

“Sakura. Matsuri.” 

Sendak sounds out the words carefully, and Shiro can’t help but smile. Hearing the syllables in the familiar low rumble makes him happier than he can verbalize, so he just revels in the feeling. He wrangles a large box to the center of the room and sets it down, kneeling on the floor next to it. 

“That’s right. Cherry blossom festival. Where I come from, it’s a traditional celebration. Like the juniberry festival for the Alteans and your Feast Days. It’s how we celebrate spring.” 

Sendak nods, deciding to take perch at the end of their bed instead of folding himself up to sit on the floor with Shiro and his mysterious box. 

“So what is it you have there?”

“It’s also tradition to wear yukata to festival,” Shiro explains, beaming. He once more listens to Sendak sound it out before continuing. “It’s…like my bathrobe, only formal. I had one made for you.”

Shiro looks up through his lashes just in time to see Sendak wrinkle his nose. To an outside observer, it looks closer to a snarl, baring some of Sendak’s sharp teeth, but Shiro has seen a real snarl on his face, and he knows the difference. 

“I don’t understand what is formal about clothing you wouldn’t normally wear outside, much less to a traditional rite.”

It was worth the payoff. Shiro laughs, and Sendak’s ears flatten. He can tell that Shiro has lured him into a joke, but it’s hard to remain angry when Shiro is smiling like that. There are a lot of ways that teasing can cross a line with all the history between them, but Shiro is very aware of that line and how to stay on the right side of it. He doesn’t like causing issue any more than Sendak has learned not to.

“It’s half joke and half historical reference. They used to be bath wear, but now they’re worn in spring and summer, often seen at festivals like this one. Here…” He gets up and reaches up to pluck a framed picture down off of a shelf. It’s been tucked away behind other more recent frames. Sendak leans forward to peer, seeing an image of a much younger Shiro wearing a festival yukata, various stalls and twinkling lights out of focus behind him. His hair is completely black in the photo, with a little ponytail sticking out at the back of his neck. That brightly colored yukata wouldn’t even close around him now, much less fit over his shoulders, but it’s probably still in his closet somewhere. He puts the photo back. 

“You were but a cub in that image,” Sendak muses. 

“Human cubs grow up, too,” Shiro replies, coming back to the box and working the lid off, making a noise of delight when he sees the fabric. 

It’s dark plum-red with stylized clouds in silver and grey, detailing in gold throughout. The swatch he’d picked from didn’t do the full piece justice, and he’s proud of his choice. He hopes Sendak is too, and he looks up to study his face. With his good hand, Sendak reaches out, running his fingertips carefully over the material, careful not to catch any of it with his claws. Shiro tilts his head, admiring how nice the colors were against the soft purple of Sendak’s fur. 

“Do you like it?” He can’t quite tell from his partner’s face; it looks like Sendak is still puzzling over it. 

“It pleases me.”

“Good.” Because hearing that anything pleases Sendak makes Shiro’s stomach do a little flip.

Along with the robe, there is an obi done with a pale grey that matches the clouds with a handsome pinstripe pattern, subtle and very eye-catching against the yukata fabric. Thinking about pinstripe and handsome makes Shiro wonder what Sendak would look like in a suit and quickly files it away for consideration later so he doesn’t get too distracted from the present moment. And in the present moment, he couldn’t be happier he’d decided to do this. If Sendak knew and coveted how Shiro looked in Galran armor, it’s completely fair that Shiro get to share in the appreciation for his mate in traditional Japanese clothing. 

“I can’t wait to see you in this,” he muses.

“All right.” Sendak reaches into the box to scoop the whole pile of fabric up into his arms and stands up to change. 

Shiro opens his mouth, as if to protest, then thinks better of it. If Sendak wants to put it on now, who’s he to stop him?

“You will help me.”

Even better.

It doesn’t take long, but it’s oh-so-much fabric. Having it made had cost Shiro a pretty penny, but didn’t mind at the time, and he certainly doesn’t mind now, watching Sendak roll his shoulders, seeing how the yukata draped over him. Simple and elegant. Not that different from some of Kolivan’s more ceremonial garb for the Blades, but absolutely more color. Sendak stays in one place while Shiro makes an eager circle around him, taking it all in, the majesty of it. Worth everything and more to be on the commander’s arm when they ventured out to take in the sakura blooms. 

Sendak delicately sniffs the air. His lip twitches. “You are…pleased.”

“Naturally,” Shiro replies without missing a beat. “It’s stunning on you.”

One brow raises. “You like your Earth clothing on me.” 

“This at least, though I’m sure I could think of a few other things to try on you.” Shiro leans up against Sendak’s chest. “You’re very patient with me.”

“This is but a small thing that evidently is important to you. I need very little patience for that. Though I’m sure some of your human companions may question your desire to fold me so neatly into your life.”

Shiro shrugs. “Some of my ‘human companions’ haven’t lived the life I have for the last few years. They’ll get over it. The coalition has changed a lot of opinions in general. They’ll warm up to you.”

“I tried to destroy your planet.”

“They’ll warm up to you eventually.” Shiro reaches up to touch his face. “We’ll go out on our own. Sakura are just as beautiful under the moonlight as they are in a crowded festival. I’ll get dressed up with you, and we’ll walk at night. Just the two of us. Less chance of anyone taking exception to my very large mate. What do you think?”

Sendak flicks an ear dubiously, but allows the touch, rubbing against his palm. “I think I would have agreed to try either way, but I prefer that.” 

He leans down and nuzzles Shiro’s cheek next, his hands placed protectively along Shiro’s spine. Despite their tangled and complicated past, Shiro can easily say that one of the places he feels the safest is pressed up to Sendak like this. They’re both possessive of one another in a dangerously feral way, but like this, they don’t need to be dangerous. They don’t even need to be Paladin and Commander. They can pick up their broken pieces and make this half-normal life. Shiro is grateful for that, and Sendak holds him like he is too. 

“Let me get changed,” he says fondly, in no actual hurry to pull away.

“As you wish,” Sendak replies, holding on longer still.


End file.
